Update on the road closures. We have been advised by BC Hydro that we can OPEN Comox Road, Puntledge Road, and Tsolum Road. Crews are in the process of opening up these roads to allow local access. Please drive carefully around Public Works crews placing sandbags in the vicinity.
These roads may close again on short notice depending on flood levels. Thank you for your patience.
Update 11:50 am
BC Hydro is releasing the maximum amount of water possible at the Comox Dam. This water flows down the Puntledge River and meets up with uncontrolled, elevated flows from the Tsolum and Browns Rivers. While river flows dropped earlier in the day, they have been increasing over the last few hours.
The City is going to be increasing and deploying the amount of sandbags in the flood zone, in particular along the Old Island Highway, between Comox Road and Headquarters Road. Crews will be mobilizing on-site.
We are receiving support from the Province of B.C and regular information updates from BC Hydro. In addition, neighbouring municipalities and private businesses have also offered their support. The City of Courtenay gratefully acknowledges these offers and is determining how and when to allocate these resources.
Residents: do you need sandbags? Sand and bags are available for residential use at the Courtenay Firehall, 650 Cumberland Road. Please bring a shovel and be prepared to fill your own bags. A coordinator will be on-site.
Businesses: any businesses in the affected area that need sandbags should call the City of Courtenay Public Works Yard at 250-338-1525.
